Ferguson backs congestion charge

Sir Alex Ferguson has given his backing to the proposed Manchester congestion charge despite living in Cheshire, and has encouraged people to vote in favour of the proposal.

The Manchester United boss said the plans "offer a once in a lifetime opportunity to put Greater Manchester in the premier league for public transport".

A postal referendum of 1.9 million residents of the region is being held to decide if a congestion charge should be introduced.

Motorists would pay up to £5 a day on weekdays to drive in and out of the city centre. In return Manchester would receive £2.8 billion from the Government's Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) to pay for the scheme and public transport improvements.

In a letter to the Manchester Evening News, Sir Alex wrote: "Millions of journeys are made by football fans each year to watch their club.

"Most of these visitors use public transport and we want their visit to be a good advert for the region.

"The proposed investment will make getting to games safer, faster and more enjoyable for all our supporters and visitors."